Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Carbon Neutral: Waste Not, Want Not

Tomorrow-- April 22-- is Earth Day. It's one day a year when some of us think about the Earth, what humankind is doing to it, and how to ameliorate the impact of civilization on our environment. We used to manufacture goods in the US, but we have become a country of debit-ridden consumers. Waste and hyper-consumerism have been taking a toll on our environment for decades. Now, our current economic crisis has brought to light the folly of our wasteful, short-term, profit-oriented, consumer-driven lifestyle. Maybe this crisis is a good thing? As a country, maybe we needed a womp upside the head to wake us up?

To celebrate Earth Day and demonstrate art can be created from items that most people would discard as junk, Dinnerware Artspace is hosting the Carbon Neutral exhibit.

I have submitted a few pieces for this show:
- Lighting the Way (above) is a sculpture made from discarded solar tubes (from my home remodel in 2007), shapely Trader Joe's soup cans, and LED light rope.

- Re-cycle is a mobile made from bicycle parts and other seemingly useless metal do-dads.

- Tiles of Tiles (below) is a three part tile piece made from discarded porcelain, terracotta, and natural stone floor tiles. It can be used as a trivet or a table top, or it can be mortared into a wall or floor.

- Last but not least is a quilt that I made from old blue jeans. With a blue jean top and a flannel remnant backing, this is by far the warmest quilt I've ever made.

The opening artists' reception for Carbon Neutral is Wednesday, 5-8 p.m., and the show runs through Saturday, April 25. I guarantee the show will open your eyes to new uses of items you may be discarding.

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